User:Acronis2/sandbox
The Kingdom of Tavaris Eredan Tavarís (Tavari) Tavaris riik (Rodokan) | |
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Motto: "Ítan Erevat, Ítan Eredan!" (Tavari) "For the King, For the Empire!" | |
Anthem: Monarelkanar Voi! (Tavari) "March On!" | |
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| Capital and largest city | Nuvrenon |
| Official languages | Tavari Rodokan |
| Ethnic groups (2020) | Tavari Elven 95% Rodoka Native 3% Other 2% |
| Demonym(s) | Tavari |
| Government | Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy |
• King | Zaram V |
• Prime Minister | Žarís Alandar |
| Legislature | Diet of Tavaris |
| Establishment | |
• Tavari settlement | cir. 100-400 CE |
• Kingdom of Tavaris unified | 1300 CE |
• Instruments of Governance ratified | 1793 CE |
| Area | |
• Total | 1,050,809 km2 (405,720 sq mi) |
• Excl. Disputed Claims | 1,033,789 km2 (399,148 sq mi) |
• Only Home Islands | 982,707km2 (379,425 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• 2021 estimate | 54,282,007 |
• 2017 census | 52,068,944 |
| GDP (nominal) | estimate |
• Total | $1,798,797,147,966 SHD |
• Per capita | $33,138 SHD |
| Currency | Tavari Našdat (TAN) |
| Time zone | East Tavaris Time (UTC -8) West Tavaris Time (UTC -9) |
| Driving side | right |
| Calling code | +422 |
| Internet TLD | .ta |
The Kingdom of Tavaris, known colloquially as Tavaris, is a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy located on Urth. It is a member of the Union of Commonwealth Alliances, a founding member and home to the headquarters of the Alliance of Northwest Gondwana, and an observer-state of the League of Novaris. Tavaris was a founding member of the International Forum and currently serves on the International Forum Security Council.
History
Tavari elves are believed to have migrated to the island of Avnatra sometime between the first and fourth centuries AD, though recent archaeological evidence shows that other elves may have been present earlier. From time to time throughout history, various chiefdoms would unite under a single leader to gain strength and control over other chiefdoms. By the beginning of the 14th century AD, they were all united in a loose confederation under the banner of a single King.
Beginning in the 1470s, a religious movement known as Akronism after a deity known as Akrona, arose in the northwest regions of the country, particularly near the Crystal Coast.
Modern History
In 1895, Acronis hosted the The Worldwide Exposition, an international cultural festival. Previous hosts had been such large nations as Packilvania, Salovia, and Great Morstaybishlia. Acronis hosted the 1895 Expo as an attempt to introduce itself to the world as an international cultural and tourist destination, as well as an advanced country with all the amenities of modern civilization such as streetcars, high-rise buildings, electricity and telegraph systems. By all accounts the Expo was popular, and Acronis earned a reputation as an environmentally pristine destination to visit.
In 1904, the Great War began. Acronis found itself on a frontier between two opposing colonial powers: Morstopackia, who controlled what is now Lunaria to Acronis' west, and Asendavia, who controlled Acronis' only neighbor by land, Vultuca. While Acronis had maintained a friendly trading relationship with the Morst and had somewhat less interaction with Asendavia - mainly due to the fact that it was easier and less expensive to trade by sea than traverse the land crossing to Vultuca that was in most places undeveloped wilderness - Acronis declared that it would be neutral in the war. However, in May of 1908, in what is known as the Anarís Incident, a group of Morst ships moved through Acronian-controlled waters off the coast of Metrati Anar to attack a group of Asendavian ships from behind. While Acronis formally summoned the Morst ambassador for an explanation and sent a demand to the Morst government that its ships respect Acronian neutrality, Asendavia held the incident to be an Acronian violation of neutrality and declared war on Acronis. Acronis would then join the war on the Morst side.
The Great War caused significant loss in Acronian lives and property, due in large part to its disadvantageous position between Morst and Asendavian colonial holdings. With Asendavia's larger colonial presence in northwestern Gondwana, it had better supply lines, and was able to position military assets in the area at less expense than Acronis' allies. Additionally, the nations of Tavaris and Bana, both led by nationalist governments, declared war on the Asendavian side, primarily with the intention of attacking Acronis. Tavaris seized Metrati Anar for the duration of the war and both Tavaris and Bana bombed the east coast of the country from Zaram to New East Harbor.
After the Great War, Acronis entered into a period of isolationism as it became politically unpopular for policies to involve other nations. Acronian neutrality had been a resounding failure and it had ended up attacked on multiple fronts because, as the political wisdom of the time said, it had become "entangled" in the affairs of foreign powers. Acronian politics shifted heavily towards isolationism and anti-imperialism, with Acronian foreign relations largely reduced to denouncing the involvement of foreign powers in Gondwana. This period of isolationism lasted for nearly the entire 20th century, although towards the latter half of the century there was a gradual period of re-engaging with foreign affairs - especially as it came to communications technology and military equipment. In the 1980s, Acronis began purchasing tanks and other modern military equipment from Morstaybishlia. In 2004, Acronis joined the Arkian Civil War on the side of the West Arkian Republic in an effort to negotiate and enforce a cease-fire. The West would later lose to the imperialists who would install the Arkian Empire. In 2008, in a further attempt to counteract global dominance by the two major powers of Morstaybishlia and Asendavia, Acronis joined the Union of Commonwealth Alliances.
On January 31st, 2017, the election of Žarís Nevran Alandar on a platform of increasing global trade and diplomatic relations is widely considered to have completely ended the isolationist era of Acronian politics. A major part of her platform was establishing a regional free trade agreement, the Alliance of Northwest Gondwana, which was negotiated in 2017 and took effect a year later. In 2020, after Bana and New Rania joined the Tavari Union, the two countries normalized relations by appointing ambassadors and announcing the opening of embassies for the first time in almost 50 years. Also in 2020, Acronis became an observer-state of the League of Novaris, after having been denied full membership. In 2021, Acronis announced that it had become a nuclear weapons state through developing its own nuclear warheads as well as purchasing warheads from Vistaraland.
Government
The Acronian Empire is governed by two separate authorities, which are referred to as governments: the civil government of the King and the Cabinet, and the religious government, which is led by an official known as the Matron of the Empire. The Matron is elected by and from a body known as The Elders, which is the collective head of the Church. Both governments serve separate functions and act as a check on the other.
The state religion of the Acronian Empire is Akronism, a monotheist faith following the Goddess Akrona, for whom the country and the people are named. The Church of Akrona governs the moral aspects of life in Acronis and maintains and enforces the country's system of criminal law. Criminal law is adjudicated in courts organized and governed by The Elders. As examples, laws against murder and assault are the jurisdiction of the religious government. Additionally, the social safety net is administered by the Church, as according to Acronian jurisprudence it is considered a matter of morality. Pensions, unemployment benefits, food assistance and housing assistance are coordinated by the Church and paid for by mandatory tithes from Church members.
The civil government handles the temporal affairs of the country. The executive body of the civil government is the Cabinet, which is led by the Prime Minister. Foreign affairs, economic affairs, military defense, education and civil law are all the domain of the King and Prime Minister. Civil law is defined as all those areas of law outside the realm of The Elders and is usually described as "crimes against property, rather than people." For example, theft, embezzlement, drug crimes, and regulations of industries or occupations are all areas of civil law. Parliament debates and passes laws, and the King ratifies them. There is only a very limited veto power on the part of the King.
The powers of and the relations between the King and the Elders are governed by a document known as The Pact, which was ratified on February 20th, 1496. It is the signing of The Pact that is considered to be the moment the Empire was established, although it would not consolidate power over the entire area for three more years.
To be a resident of the Acronian Empire is to be subject to the civil laws of the Empire. To be a member of the Church of Akrona is to be subject to its religious law. To be a citizen of the Acronian Empire, one must be both a resident and a member of the Church. The protections of civil law are not afforded to non-residents, and the benefits of Church membership (including social programs) are only available to members in good standing. Perhaps most controversially, because citizenship of the Acronian Empire requires good standing in the Church of Akrona, this effectively removes the right of non-Akronists to vote in elections, even if they were born in Acronis. Native Rodokans who are not Church members have the right to vote due to a law passed in 1992 in a package of reparations, which also allows them to access social services. Some municipalities have passed laws allowing non-citizen nationals to vote in municipal elections.
Parliament
Government:
Remembrance: 261 seats
Official Opposition:
Socialist Party for Democracy: 89 seats
The Greens: 64 seats
Other Opposition:
Liberal Party: 38 seats
Elder-Appointed Caucus: 14 seats
The Parliament of the Acronian Empire consists of a Senate and a Diet. Legally, a Parliament is elected to a seven year term, although it has historically been very rare for a Parliament to last that amount of time. When an election is called, both houses are dissolved at the same time, and all seats go up for election. A Prime Minister, who is selected from among the members of Parliament, must command the confidence of both houses of Parliament. The monarch, by law, must first offer the role of Prime Minister to the leader of the largest political faction in the Diet, but has some latitude to appoint the individual of their choice if that person cannot form a government. A Parliament serves from election for up to seven years, or until either an election is called by the monarch upon the advice of the Prime Minister, or the Prime Minister loses a vote of no confidence in either house and no suitable candidate can be selected from the current membership within 28 days.
The Senate of the Acronian Empire has 165 elected seats and a non-finite number of members appointed by the King for a life term. Currently, there are 8 appointed Senators, making a total Senate membership of 173. Among the seats up for election, the Senate is elected proportionally. 120 members are elected from 6 multi-member constituencies, and 45 members are elected from a single, nationwide party list. Historically, the Senate has been seen as the more "collegial" of the two houses, with its membership typically comprised of more senior politicians. However, the Senate is the less powerful of the two houses, as it cannot initiate funding bills and it cannot block the passage of legislation on its own. It can pass bills as passed by the Diet, it can delay passage by referring a bill back to the Diet one time, or it can refer a bill "to the monarch," meaning it recommends to the monarch that they withhold Royal Assent.
The Diet of the Acronian Empire currently has 452 elected seats, with members elected from single-member constituencies in first-past-the-post elections. Additionally, The Elders have the right to appoint members of the Diet for terms coterminous with those of the elected members, with each Elder allowed to appoint two members. The Matron historically declines to make appointments except in times of war or other national emergency. In 2021, the 37th Matron appointed herself and another individual to seats in the Diet, the first time a Matron had done so since the Great War. With 14 appointed members, the total membership of the Diet is currently 466 members. The size of the Diet is set in statute, but the Instruments of Governance mandates that constituencies consist of no more than 120,000 people each. As in most parliamentary systems, the Diet is the more powerful body, with the right to initiate funding bills. While both houses can initiate any other kind of bill, only the Diet can reject a bill outright.
Historically, more Prime Ministers have come from the Senate rather than the Diet, a contrast to many other parliamentary systems. However, the current Prime Minister, Žarís Nevran Alandar, is a member of the Diet. By law, there is always a Deputy Prime Minister, who must come from the house the Prime Minister does not, and who leads government business in that house.
Government:
Goddess and Country: 2 seats (confidence and supply)
Remembrance: 86 seats
Official Opposition:
Socialist Party for Democracy: 48 seats
The Greens: 31 seats
Other Opposition:
Liberal Party: 6 seats
The Monarchy
The Acronian monarchy is based in absolute-primogeniture from among the descendants of King Davras. In order to assume the throne, the designate must be a member of the Church of Akrona in good standing, must not have been convicted of any crimes, and must be resident in the country. The monarch is known as His or Her Royal Highness and also bears the titles of High Chief of the Tribes of Rodoka and Head of Line Davras (sometimes called "Chief of Line Davras.") There have been 20 monarchs, with 8 queens and 12 kings. Mital II, the reigning monarch, assumed the throne upon the death of his father King Kanor IX on March 31st, 2000. The heir apparent is Crown Prince Otan, born in 1990, who is the only child of King Mital II. The king's wife, and the crown prince's mother, was Princess Torevar, who died in childbirth. The King has never remarried. While the monarch does not use a family name like other Acronians, they do technically have them. King Mital's full legal name, as recorded on his certificate of birth, is Mital Davras Šolosar. The King's full name and title is officially presented in this way: His Majesty Mital II, King of the Acronian Empire and High Chief of the Tribes of Rodoka, Chief of Line Davras, Representative of the People Before The Elders of the Church of Akrona, Lord Patron of Ilarís, Defender of the Faith, Davras Šolosar.
The powers of the monarch are established in both The Pact and the Instruments of Governance, as well as through historic convention. Officially, the monarch appoints and dismisses the Prime Minister, summons and dissolves Parliament, declares war and peace, imposes and repeals taxes, and promulgates laws. In reality, all of these powers are exercised only on the advice of the Prime Minister or upon passage of legislation by Parliament. The monarchy does reserve the power to appoint or dismiss the Prime Minister, or dissolve Parliament, on its own initiative, but has never done so since the ratification of the Instruments of Governance. By law, the monarch does not have a veto and cannot reject bills that have been passed by the Parliament, with one exception: the monarch may choose to withhold (or choose not to withhold) Royal Assent if the Senate votes to "refer the bill to the monarch" - meaning the Senate has, in effect, delegated its authority to the monarch. However, a monarch may always choose to refer a bill to referendum, in which case the bill only takes effect if approved in a national referendum. Also, the monarch may refer a bill to The Elders if he or she believes the bill to be unconstitutional.
The monarch, as Head of State, represents the Acronian Empire to foreign countries and receives ambassadors from foreign countries. Additionally, the monarch serves as a check against the Matron and the Elders. The monarch may reverse any decision of the Matron or The Elders if they believe the decision is unconstitutional. This technically includes any judicial decision such as a conviction or a declaration of a new crime, although this is rarely exercised. This power belongs to the monarch exclusively, and the Prime Minister, cabinet, and Parliament have no legal say in the process.
The Elders and The Matron
The Elders are the collective head of the Church of Akrona. They are a body of seven women and have been since the beginning of the Church. The first Elders are held by the Church to be the first people that the Goddess Akrona appeared to and blessed. As a body, The Elders have historically been very reclusive, and with the exception of the Matron are rarely seen in public. When they do appear in public, it is almost always as a group. The Elders have ultimate and total control over the administration of the Church of Akrona and over criminal law. The Elders are led by an official known as the Matron of the Empire. The Matron is the presiding officer of The Elders and serves as the Church's most public face - except for very rare occasions, only the Matron ever appears alone, and she is generally considered to be a public figure.
Elders serve for life terms. Upon the death of an Elder, a replacement is named by the Matron. When the Matron passes away, a replacement is elected by the remaining six Elders. Other than being a woman, there is no other qualification set out under the law. Constitutional scholars have noted that there is not even a requirement that an Elder be a member of the church. The Elders have never disclosed any of the factors they use in deciding who should be a Matron. In 2018, the current Matron made an unprecedented disclosure, in response to a question from a member of the church, that for purposes of selecting an Elder the definition of "woman" is any individual who identifies as and "sincerely holds themselves to be, in their whole self and spirit" a woman - meaning transgender women are eligible for the office. It is unknown if any transgender women have ever served as an Elder - although it is equally unknown if any cisgender women have ever served in the role.
The Elders, as a body, are the highest judicial authority for criminal and constitutional law in the country, acting in effect as a court of last appeal. The Elders have the authority to declare any law or action of the government unconstitutional, although by convention they only do so if presented with a formal complaint or if asked to weigh in on the matter by the King.
Political Parties
Politics in the Acronian Empire, since the establishment of the Diet in 1763 until the mid-20th century had been primarily a two-party system, with power alternating between the Liberal Party and Remembrance. The Liberal Party is, as the name suggests, a classically liberal party that advocates for smaller government, a lightly-regulated economy, and a monarchy with less reserve power. There are factions of the party that call for abolition of the monarchy and the established church. Remembrance defines itself as a centrist party, although it has significant center-right movements in support for the monarchy, the established church, and a strong military.
Since the middle of the 20th century, the political system has re-organized into a multi-party system. The other major parties of Acronis include the Greens and the Socialist Party for Democracy, both of which being largely aligned with the center-left. The Greens are a member of the international environmental movement and have served as a coalition partner with both of the oldest parties. The Socialist Party for Democracy, known as "The People First" until 2020, identifies as a "party of social democrats and democratic socialism," and was formed from the remnants of a previous party called the Social Democratic Party that was dissolved in 2005 due to campaign finance violations.
Smaller parties that have also had seats in Parliament at any point in time include the Acronian Communist Party; Goddess and Country, a religious conservative party; and Acronians First, a nationalist party most solidly associated with opposition to immigration. Of these, only Goddess and Country has current representation in Parliament, with two Senators.
Geography
Physical geography
Acronis is composed of territory on two continents. The Gondwanan portions of Acronis, known as "the mainland" despite their island location, are located on four islands in the Gulf of Northwest Gondwana. It is south and west of Vultuca and to the east of Lunaria. The largest island, which contains most Acronian territory, is known to Acronians as Avnatra, which is Acronian for "elder sister." (In comparison to the neighboring largest island of Lunaria, which is Tanatra, "younger sister.") In addition to the southern and western portions of Avnatra, the Empire controls the island known as King's Island to the south, upon which the capital of Zaram is located, and two small islands immediately to the west of Avnatra known as the "Tears of the Moon." Both of these islands, known individually as the Greater and Lesser Tears, are restricted access areas owned by the Church of Akrona that are reserved exclusively for The Elders.
The Novari portion of Acronis is the island of Rodoka, which is located off the coast of West Novaris between Meagharia and the Lapinumbian island of Rhodos. Rodoka was initially settled by the Rodokan people, it is believed, in the 9th or 10th century CE. Acronian settlers reached the island in 1620. After a brief war between 1632 and 1634, Acronis claimed the entire island as a dominion, with significant areas of land reserved for the exclusive control of native Rodokans. On August 18th 2020, Rodoka voted in a referendum to become the 18th Province of the Acronian Empire. The capital and largest city of Rodoka is Lantaž, an Acronian word meaning "paradise."
The Aequator passes through southern Acronis, bisecting the Greater Tear of the Moon. Given the country's location on the Aequator, the climate is tropical. All of Avnatra was once covered in rainforest, although the southern portions of the island have been cleared since ancient times. A large portion of the north of Acronis have been declared a nature preserve, known as the National Reserve, in order to maintain the rainforest, including nearly all of the country's border with Vultuca. Most of northern Acronis is undeveloped and sparsely populated. Crystal Coast is the largest city in the region, and also the country's most popular destination for domestic and international tourism.
Southern Acronis is the country's industrial base and most populated region. Most of Acronis' major cities are located here, especially along the Bight of Acronis in the southwest. Further inland is the primary agricultural region of the country. Off the southeastern coast is King's Island and the capital of Zaram. With the distance too long for a bridge, Zaram is connected to the mainland by a fleet of state-operated hovercrafts and private boats and ships. The portions of King's Island not taken by the Zaram urban area are primarily palm oil plantations, with some heavy industry. There are fewer large cities along the east coast, as this region has bore the historical brunt of Tavari invasion, but the city of New East Harbor is one of Acronis' major ports and the heart of Acronis' primary coffee and cocoa-growing regions. The body of water to the east of Avnatra is known officially as the Strait of Vultuca but is also known among Acronians as the Sunrise Sea.
Political geography
Acronis is divided into eighteen provinces for the purpose of civil administration. The provinces are units of civil government established by Parliament, with the current system established by the Province Reorganization Act of 1961. While most power in civil government resides with the national government in Zaram, the provinces have the power to set income taxes, regulate certain businesses and industries, and establish public school systems, among other responsibilities. Each province elects a unicameral Legislative Council, from which a government headed by a First Councillor is appointed. The National Reserve, under law, is classified as its own province, but as it has no residents and no cities, it is governed directly by the national government. The Minister of the Environment holds the title of "First Councillor of the National Reserve" ex officio. The Tears of the Moon are not part of any province because, as the private property of the Elders, they are not subject to civil government administration.
The Province of Rodoka has a special arrangement due to the status of the native Rodokans. The Treaty of Sinajärv signed in 1634 between the Acronian government and the five remaining independent Rodokan tribes granted the Rodokans sovereignty over areas of land that were reserved explicitly for their use. These reserved areas remain and are today governed by the Rodokan Native Tribal Administration, a body comprised of representatives from the five tribes. The reservation is able to set its own tax rate and regulate businesses and construction in its own territory. Notably, things that are illegal in the rest of Acronis, such as gambling or cannabis, are legal on the reservation. An order dating to 1632 banned alcohol on Rodoka, which was in 1936 amended to forbid only the sale of wine and spirits to consumers outside of bars. However, all kinds of alcohol have always been legal on the reservation. The reservation is located primarily on the northern "branch" of the island, although it also contains various non-contiguous tracts on the southern branch that are intended to be hunting grounds to allow native Rodokans to practice their cultural hunting practices that would be illegal elsewhere. Legally, native Rodokans are Acronian subjects, as the King of Acronis holds the title "High Chief of the Tribes of Rodoka." While legally Rodokans who are not members of the Church of Akrona are "non-citizen nationals" of the Empire, all native Rodokans have access to the social programs instituted by the Church, such as welfare and the national health service, through an agreement with the Church ratified in 1992 as a means of reparations to the native Rodokans.
Officially, each province is divided into townships and cities. Cities are built-up population centers that have a certain degree of autonomy, whereas townships are largely subject to governance from the province of which they are a part. While cities and townships are responsible for the delivery of most services and establishing courts, most Acronians instead use the parishes of the Church of Akrona as the primary way to indicate where they are from. In fact, nearly half of the townships in the country are coterminous and share a name with a parish of the church. Cities are an exception, as they often consist of multiple parishes. While under the law, cities have the power to establish municipal police departments, nearly all of them have not done so, leaving the Royal Acronian Marshals to serve as the police. The three cities with their own police departments are Zaram, Dravai, and Lantaž.
Military
The military of the Acronian Empire is the Royal Acronian Armed Forces. Acronis has a strong military tradition, and for centuries maintained mandatory conscription for citizens of all genders. Mandatory conscription was ended in 2016. The strong military culture was shaped early in Acronian history by the frequent armed attacks from the Tavari. Despite the fact that there has been no such attack from the Tavari since the Great War, the two peoples remain bitter enemies and there is still a belief that the country must be protected. As such, the military remains one of the most popular institutions in the country.
The Royal Acronian Armed Forces consist of:
- The Royal Acronian Army
- The Royal Acronian Navy
- The Royal Acronian Air Force
- The Royal Acronian Marshals
While citizens are no longer required to serve in the military, many choose to serve in the reserves, of which there were approximately 2.5 million servicemembers in 2020. The law allows for conscription to resume in the event of a defensive war, in which case all adult citizens would be called back into reserve status to begin training. These reserves would be drawn from as needed onto the front lines. The law does not allow for wartime conscription if the Acronian Empire has not been directly attacked.
Including the Royal Acronian Marshals, the total number of active duty Acronian troops is 507,718. The Marshals are the primary police force for the entire country, as only three cities (Zaram, Dravai, and Lantaž) have established independent, civilian police departments. The Marshals also include the Coast Guard Division and the Border and Immigration Control Division. Excluding the Marshals, who would not be counted among military personnel in many countries, the number of Acronian troops is 307,695.
The Acronian Empire maintains a blue-water navy capable of deployment across the world, although a majority of operations are conducted within the Acronian EEZ, or alongside fellow UCA members in international joint operations. The Empire maintains two nuclear-powered submarines as part of its nuclear deterrent, and two diesel-electric aircraft carriers, one of which is typically (though not always) deployed in a helicopter dock configuration. On January 19th, 2021, Acronis announced that it had begun a nuclear weapons program through both a native production program and through an agreement with Vistaraland. The two countries will continue to cooperate in nuclear weapons research and development. Acronis does not maintain a nuclear triad, instead maintaining sea and air-based nuclear weapons systems. Acronis does not maintain biological or chemical weapons.
Notable international conflicts in which the Acronian armed forces have participated include the Great War, the Arkian Civil War, the Civil War in Ni-Rao, and UCA engagements in Puntalia and Balistria. Along with Durakia, it participated in the LN military occupation of Karolingia.
Economy
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Largely the result of Akronist religious teaching that mandates stewardship of the environment, the Acronian economy is more strictly regulated (on average) than other economies. Heavy industry is especially scrutinized, though recognized as necessary.
Agriculture still remains a central part of the economy. A tropical country, Acronis grows and exports timber, tropical fruits and nuts, palm oil, coffee, sugar, and cocoa, among many other products including paper and paper goods. Perhaps Acronis' most well-known agricultural export is chocolate - the production of chocolate is dated to almost the very beginning of Elven settlement in the region, and Acronis exports more chocolate than any other country on Urth. Additionally, Acronis produces significant amounts of ethanol and bio-fuels, although these are not typically exported but used by the population instead, as the extraction of petroleum resources is illegal.
Akronist religious teaching has a significant influence on the economy in that it has led to relatively unusual proportions of land use in the country. Akronist religious teaching holds life as sacred, and killing animals in general, but especially to eat, is discouraged. As such, there is almost no livestock in Acronis, freeing the land to be used for the growth of planted crops. There is, however, one major exception to the Akronist rule on eating animals: seafood. Because Akrona is said to have emerged from the sea, the Church of Akrona teaches that everything that comes from the sea is a blessing and gift from Akrona to the people. A significant percentage of Acronian off-shore area is devoted to fish farms and other aquaculture. Acronians both eat and export large amounts of seafood and also engage in whaling within their territorial waters. Kelp and algae are also grown as bio-fuel resources.
Acronis has some mineral resources, including copper, nickel, significant cobalt deposits, and sand and gravel, but extraction of these is very strictly regulated and almost exclusively done by state-owned enterprises. Development of mineral resources is politically unpopular and production of these elements has seen very little growth over the past two decades. Refining of both domestically- and foreign-mined metals is somewhat more common, but still very strictly regulated as a highly polluting industry. Acronis does have domestic heavy manufacturing, including automobiles, watercraft, renewable energy equipment such as wind turbines and solar panels, and especially arms and military equipment.
The services sector, as in other countries, is the largest driver of the Acronian economy. While the strict environmental regulations result in difficulty in other sectors of the economy, they are largely credited with creating an environment that is very popular to visit. Tourism and hospitality are a major source of economic activity in Acronis, and the government leans hard into tourism as a way to make up for economic limitations elsewhere.
Technically speaking, taxes are low in Acronis, however this is only the case because the social benefits programs are paid by tithes to the church, not taxes to the treasury. Taxes and tithes combined result in total costs to citizens being higher than the world average, but the benefits afforded to Acronian citizens are considered to be better than average.